NEW YORK—China displayed its most advanced military force and state-of-the art weapons on its 60th National Day. However, American military experts said this act greatly widens the differences between China and other nations. What China sees as peaceful, other countries perceive as a threat.

Michael Lostumbo, the RAND Corporation’s senior national security Researcher, believes China must strengthen its peaceful message after the National Day’s display of military bravado in order to lessen the level of threats felt by other countries. “As China’s role increases in the world, they as well need to change their thinking, because from now on, everything that happens in China will greatly impact other countries,” he said.

Lostumbo said that Chinese President Hu Jin Tao emphasized the importance of world peace in his speeches in the military display and United Nations meetings. The latest poll done by Washington, D.C.,’s Pew Center shows that 80 percent of Chinese agree with Hu Jintao’s views, also they believe China will take into consideration the interests of other nations in their foreign policy. However, research from 23 countries shows that only 30 percent the interviewees believe China has done so.

In the same poll, 75 percent of those interviewed believe other countries feel positive towards China, but the poll results show that only one-third of the interviewees from other nations share the same view.

China’s self perception is very different from the image held by others. Lostumbo believes the core of the problem is China’s continued military development. He said China put much effort in maintaining peace among the G6 nations. However, China’s choice to continue military development will only widen the gap between China and other nations, especially when the rate of increasing investments in China’s military continues to exceed its economic growth, causing an alarm in neighboring countries.

“To truly express its embrace of world peace, China should allow its large and professionally trained army into areas and contribute to global safety but not within China’s borders,” said Lostumbo.